As Ravana’s effigies rise across India today, only to fall in flames by dusk, we’re not just watching a ritual—we’re witnessing a civilizational reset. Dussehra isn’t a spectacle. It’s a spiritual audit. A generational handshake. A moment where India doesn’t just celebrate, it remembers.
From the emotional immersion of Durga Puja to the moral reckoning of Dussehra and the spiritual illumination of Diwali, India performs a trilogy of festivals that have outlived empires, survived invasions, and still guided humanity. These aren’t seasonal events. They’re spiritual operating systems.
Every generation, ever since life evolved on this planet has participated in these festivals. Elders narrate the verses, the values, the shlokas. And, now the Gen Z is giving them wings through reels, edits, drone shots, and memes. Together, they ensure that India’s deities remain the most followed, most emotionally invested brands in human history.
Did You Know? Dussehra Is Celebrated in Over a Dozen Distinct Ways Across India
Before you light the diya or watch Ravana’s effigy burn, consider this: Dussehra isn’t a single ritual—it’s a national mosaic of moral storytelling.
* In Almora, Uttarakhand, 26 effigies are burned, not just Ravana, but his entire lineage.
* In Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, there’s no burning at all, just a divine procession of village deities.
* Bastar, Chhattisgarh, hosts the longest Dussehra in the world; 75 days of tribal rituals with no Ramayana link.
* In Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, it’s Bommai Golu—doll displays that narrate epics and ethics.
* In Kerala, children begin learning through Vidyarambham.
* In Mysuru, Karnataka, Dussehra is a royal affair with the Jamboo Savari procession.
• In West Bengal, it’s the emotional climax of Durga Puja.
* In Delhi, Punjab, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, it’s effigy burning, Ram Leela, and martial arts.
Each version is different. But the message is the same: confront your inner Ravanas. Begin again.
• Durga to Dussehra to Diwali: A Civic-Spiritual Trilogy
From Durga Puja to Dussehra to Diwali, India doesn’t just celebrate festivals—it performs a three-act play of inner transformation. If Durga Puja is the call to courage, where we invoke the goddess to confront injustice and reclaim strength, then Dussehra is the audit of conscience, where we burn the Ravanas within—ego, deceit, and distraction, and reset our moral compass.
And Diwali? That’s the declaration of clarity—the moment we welcome Ram home, light up our homes with Lakshmi’s prosperity and Ganesha’s wisdom, and align our lives with purpose. It’s not just mythology, it’s methodology. A civic ritual where every diya lit is a vote for inner light, every effigy burned is a resignation from inner chaos, and every idol immersed is a reminder that power must always serve principle.
• Brand Valuation vs Devotional Capital
Let’s talk numbers. Apple’s brand value? $500 billion. Amazon? $450 billion. Microsoft? $400 billion. Nike? $200 billion. McDonald’s? $190 billion. These brands dominate the world’s valuation charts. Their logos are everywhere—from billboards to browsers.
But India’s spiritual brands: Goddess Durga, Lord Ram, Lord Ganesha, Lord Krishna…have something far more enduring: unmatched emotional equity.
* Tirupati Temple receives over ₹3,000 crore annually in donations.
* Padmanabhaswamy Temple holds treasures worth over ₹1 lakh crore.
Ram Mandir: ₹3,500 crore in donations in under five years
* Shirdi, Vaishno Devi, Siddhivinayak, Golden Temple collectively attract tens of millions of pilgrims every year.
These aren’t transactions. They’re acts of faith—performed year after year, generation after generation. Unlike corporate brands that peak and plateau, India’s deities have outlived empires, survived invasions, and still guide humanity.
• Global Appeal: From Reels to Real Devotion
From Bali to Boston, Mauritius to Madrid, India’s deities are known by name. People chant Hare Rama Hare Krishna, wear Rudraksha beads, and study the Bhagavad Gita not as exotic philosophy—but as life guidance.
And it’s not just Indians. Foreigners have become torchbearers of Sanatan Dharma:
• Swami Satyananda Saraswati (born in the US as Forrest Wright) founded Devi Mandir in California and teaches Vedic rituals worldwide.
• Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya (formerly Frank Morales) is a scholar-practitioner of Vedanta and yoga, now a full-time Sanatan Dharma acharya.
• Swami Vishnudevananda (born in Kerala but trained many Western disciples) helped establish the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres.
• Krishna Das (born Jeffrey Kagel in New York) became a global kirtan icon, spreading bhakti yoga across continents.
• Radhanath Swami (born Richard Slavin in Chicago) is now a revered ISKCON leader and author of The Journey Home.
These aren’t cultural tourists. They’re spiritual citizens. Gurus from foreign lands now teach Sanatan Dharma in Indian akharas. The vocabulary of India has gone global—not through marketing, but through meaning.
And it’s Gen Z who’s carrying that meaning forward. Their reels don’t just entertain—they educate, archive, and awaken. They turn Ram Leela into cinematic edits, remix Ravana’s ten heads into civic satire, and document rituals with drone shots and transitions.
• Did You Know This Year, One of Them Rode MotoGP?
Spanish rider Jorge Martín, one of the fastest men on two wheels, raced with Lord Ganesha on his helmet. Not for style. Not for sponsorship. But for protection. For clarity. For faith.
He didn’t find Ganesha in a textbook. He found him in reels—curated by Gen Z, amplified across continents. That helmet wasn’t just a tribute. It was a billboard for Sanatan Dharma, riding at 300 km/h.
• The Final Truth: No Campaign, Just Conscience
As we scroll through festive ads from Apple, Amazon, Nike, McDonald’s, and countless others this season, let’s pause and reflect: every global brand uses our festivals to boost visibility, launch offers, and ride the emotional wave of devotion. Their campaigns flood our screens. Their discounts fill our carts.
But our gods? Our festivals?
They’ve never needed a campaign.
No influencer. No billboard. No algorithm.
And yet, temples overflow. Shlokas echo. Devotees arrive—year after year, generation after generation.
Because these aren’t brands built by marketing. They’re built by memory. By meaning. By moral clarity.
Durga never advertised her valour. Ram never promoted his dharma. Ganesha never pitched his wisdom. Krishna never sold his philosophy. And yet, they remain the most followed, most emotionally invested names in human history.
So now, it’s up to us.
To not just celebrate, but to follow.
To not just light diyas, but to enlighten ourselves.
To not just burn Ravana, but to kill the Ravana within.
Because if these deities have outlived every brand since the evolution of life, then surely, their values can help us outlive our own chaos. And when we do—when we choose clarity over clutter, dharma over distraction, wisdom over noise—something shifts.
We become happy.
Our families become happy.
Our family-like friends become happy.
And guess what?
“Happiness and peace can’t be bought. They must be lived.”
So this Dussehra, as the effigies fall and the diyas rise, remember: the real victory isn’t outside. It’s within.
Happy Dussehra. May your inner Ravanas fall, and your light
